just outside of Healdsburg. We had Bill’s son, Ryan, take a photo as we were departing.

(In case you’re wondering, I decided on the hot pink trench with a red T-shirt, leopard belt, Gap blue jeans and Steve Madden blush pumps. I tied a very old heart scarf around my handbag to be festive).

Even though we are several weeks away from the official start of Spring, you would never know it. Mustard is in bloom throughout the county,

as are the darling tiny white daisies that look like freshly fallen snow.

This orange kitty, who we drank wine with last time, was the first to welcome us. He is getting a little long in the tooth. I wonder how old he is.

Next to arrive was this lionlike fellow (or gal).

I have a special fondness for long-haired kitties.

He, or she…let’s just go with “he”… came right over and hopped onto our table. They must have known we’d stopped to the Oakville Groceryfor salami and gruyere. I can just imagine them saying to one another, “hey, I’ll work the lady for the cheese, you work that tall guy for the meat.”

The black, fluffy guy was so darn cute, I couldn’t keep my hands off of him. And it shows…

he’s a bit feisty.

Soon, we were surrounded by all sorts of kitties.

A grey kitty,

a grey and white kitty,

a calico kitty,

and a tabby,

From the looks of her belly, I think she may be momma.

After our picnic, we walked around the property. The trees lining the bocce court were in full bloom,

complete with the humming sound of feeding bees.

It was finally time to check into our hotel. We stayed at the Hotel Healdsburg right on the town square. We were very surprised by the spaciousness of our room.

I particularly liked the bathroom with its large, deep tub and doorless shower.

We had a view of the square and a small balcony.

After we got settled, we went for a hot tub downstairs next to the pool the got ready for dinner.

I wore the $5.00 dress just like I promised.

I brought the Mary Janes I ordered and the Steve Madden pumps so I could show you the difference between the two (the Dancing-with-the-stars shoes were a big thumbs down so I didn’t bother with them).

I wore the patent Mary Janes with a wide patent belt.

Then I tried the Steve Madden pumps with a grosgrain ribbon tied as a belt, a clever idea I got from my dear reader and friend, Kathy Peck.

My favorite parts of the meal were the creamy cauliflower soup with a generous drizzle of fresh pesto and our Bvlgari San Pelligrino bottle.

I thought about bringing it home with me but decided against it. What would I do with it?

We went to sleep early after a long day. Lucky for us, our bed was comfortable and the sheets were very soft. It was easy to sleep in past 8:00, something we never get a chance to do.

We took our time packing the next morning and decided to take the long way home, taking a few photos before we left the property. This is a solarium near our room with lots of seating. I bet it’s fun to hang out there during the warmer months.

(I wore the same jeans, shoes, and belt, with a black camisole, J Crew khaki blazer and gold necklaces).

I’d love to go back to Hotel Healdsburg in early fall to spend the day by the pool.

We took the long way home, through Napa Valley, and had lunch at one of our favorite places, Brix. We both had blue cheese burgers and salads, then walked through the garden area in back of the restaurant before heading over the mountains towards home.

What a great little escape we had. We weren’t gone very long and we didn’t go very far, but we feel as though we went on a real vacation.

If you ever visit Healdsburg, I would highly recommend the Hotel Healdsburg for your accommodations. It’s a lovely place and the prices are not that high in comparison to other hotels in the area.

I’d love to hear what you think of the two different looks with the $5.00 dress.

What a glorious getaway for Valentine’s Day. My favorite part is the cat-infested winery – I adore those little creatures too : > You look lovely throughout, and my vote is firmly cast for the nude pumps.

Love the nude pumps and the grosgrain belt – the dress is a dead ringer for a Chloe, and you look great in it. Thank you for the mention – so sweet.I too love the hot pink and red combo. Your mini vacation sounds wonderful.

I love this post because it combines two of my favorite things…cats and hotels.

What cute cats. The black one reminds me of our cat, Bailey, when we had him.

I really liked your outfits. Both days.

I think the dress with the ribbon is a must of the two. I think it gives the dress more of a modern edge with femininity. I can’t put my finger on it because I’m certainly not a fashionista, but I think it softens the look. It works really well.

@Patti @ NotDeadYet Style Just when we thought we had seen loads of cats, another one would show up. I actually forgot that I have a photo of yet another one that I didn’t post. If that winery weren’t so far away from our house, I would apply for a job – as a cat petter

@déjà pseu I think the pink and red look was helped a lot by the leopard belt. I tried those colors last week without the leopard and it looked odd; like it didn’t match or something. Weird how a little bit of leopard can pull and outfit together.

@Cindy Swanson Bill and I talked about taking these mini-vacations more often. We do get out in our RV regularly but you know, that is a lot of work – you have to bring everything with you short of the kitchen sink, then unload it and clean it when you’re through. Hoteling it is so much more relaxing.

If you ever do come out our way, please let me know. It would be my pleasure to show you around!

Thank you for your very sweet comment…and your feedback on the belt/shoes/dress. xo, A

I love the dress with the grosgrain ribbon belt and nude shoes, as a previous poster said, it looks very “Chloe”! I personally think the patent belt is a little too ‘heavy’ for the dress…. It would look great with patent or suede ballet flats too, in black or nude…..

I love all the kitties! It’s like cat heaven. My daughter (and I) would be so happy there. I like the grosgrain ribbon and blush pumps a tiny bit more. And I love that you paired hot pink with red! You look great, as always, and I’m glad you and Bill had a good time! XO, Jill

Looks like a wonderful trip! I love your festive Valentine’s Day outfit, so fun. And I really like the dress with the nude pumps and ribbon belt, what a great idea! Also love all the kitties, that is my kind of spot : )

OMG: wine-tasting, California countryside, AND kitties? It’s too much! LOVE the J. Crew blazer. And I had to smile b/c I recognized the Brix photos right away. (I took tons of pics there on a visit a couple of years ago). Glad you had a good time.

Love the dress and it looks great with both, but the ribbon belt is a nice touch. It kind of does look like a Chloe…mind if I borrow it? Looking everywhere for a dress to wear to Madeline’s NCL fashion Show.

We loved your area in the Fall and it looks like Spring is a perfect time to go as well. We had Thanksgiving dinner at Brix and it was wonderful. I think you may have recommended it. Your photos sure make me want to return. Such an amazing place.

@lowcarbhighstyle I know you are a big cat lover. If you ever come to northern California, promise that you’ll let Bill and I take you and your husband to Preston. I’ll pack a low carb/Paleo picnic and we can play with all the kitties! xo

@Grammy Goodwill I really did think about taking that bottle and if I was a crafty gal, I am sure I could have done something really cool with it. But I’m not so I left it there. The photo doesn’t do it justice to how pretty it really is. I like it even better than the Missoni one they did a couple of years back.

@kim at northerncalstyle. When I lived in Mill Valley years ago, I used to take walks around my neighborhood. I planned my walk around where I’d seen kitties before. It actually motivated me to walk more because I wanted to see my kitty friends so often.

Please come up for a visit sometime and I will take you to Preston. I am pretty sure you will love it…they have a huge garden, chickens, a bocce court and they bake their own bread on certain days. It’s divine.

If you like cats, you’d love Le Petit Village, we’re swarming with them!I prefer the ribbon and the blush heels, but I bet the mary janes would look even more fantastic with that dress if you add some black opaque stockings

@Sara Louise I know I would LOVE Le Petit Village – cats or no cats! I will be coming for a visit in about a year – we are taking Tori to France and will be near your town – hope you don’t mind is we pop in for some cheese

I’ll have to try the tights out with the T straps…thanks for that idea! xo, A

Adrienne,I do hope I can return before moving back east. It was way too short. I had very high expectations for your area and I must say they even exceeded those. It is just an amazing place with so much beauty and I would like to spend a bit more time there and would love to have you show me around your favorite vineyard or town. Have a wonderful weekend.annie

@Anonymous Hi! I bought it at Macy’s in November for about $40. I like it but I don’t love it because the inside of the belt has a gold coating that is beginning to flake off – and it gets on my clothing. Other than that, it’s a very cute belt. I wear it often but I do have to check for gold specks every now and then.